Dispensing container



United States Patent 3,239,111 DISPENSING CONTAINER Leonard Thomas LaCroce, Dumont, N.J., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., acorporation of New Jersey Filed Sept. 1, 1964, Ser. No. 393,540 6Claims. (Cl. 222-480) The present invention relates generally todispensing containers and more particularly to a new and improveddispensing container of the type wherein a flexible and resilent rotarydredge assembly is snap-fitted within an aperture in an end closure ofthe container.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a flexible andresilient rotary dredge assembly which can be easily mounted within anopening in a dispensing container. 7

Another object is to provide such a dredge assembly wherein the partsare simple in construction and formed of a flexible and resilientplastic material so as to be readily and easily manufactured andassembled.

A further object is to the provision of such a dredge assembly whichcomprises two parts which may be preassembled or snap-fitted together sothat one of the parts is rotatable within the other, and which maythereafter be snap-fitted within the container opening.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a two-part,flexible and resilient dredge assembly for a dispensing containerwherein one part is rotatably mounted within the other part and isprovided with various forms and sizes of dispensing openings which maybe aligned with a dispensing opening in the other part to selectivelyvary the dispensing rate of the product within the container.

A still further object is the provision of such a dredge assemblywherein the parts are maintained in sufficiently tight slidableengagement to prevent the product within the container from becomingwedged between the parts.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent as it is better understood from the following description,which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses apreferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing container having a dredgeassembly constructed in accord ance with the principles of the instantinvention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along line 22in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view, with parts broken away, of thecomponent parts of the dredge assembly shown in FIG. 1.

As a preferred and exemplary embodiment of the instant invention, FIG. 1illustrates a dispensing container 10 adapted to package granular orpowdery products, such as ground seasoning or spices. The container 10comprises a generally rectangular body 12 formed of any suitable sheetmaterial such as tin plate, and a pair of end members 14 and 16, alsoformed of a suitable sheet material such as tin plate, which are securedto the 0pposite ends of the body in end seams 18 of any suitable type,such as conventional double seams.

3,239,111 Patented Mar. 8, 1966 As shown in FIG. 2, the central panel 22of the top end member 14 preferably is provided adjacent one end thereofwith a circular aperture 26 which is defined by an upwardly and inwardlytapered annular wall or burr 24 formed integral with the central panel22. The wall 24 serves as a resilient retaining member for the dredgeassembly of the instant invention when it is mounted within the aperture20, in a manner to be described hereinafter.

The rotary dredge assembly of the present invention preferably comprisestwo parts, a stator or base element 26 and a rotor or dredge 28, each ofwhich is molded in one piece and formed of a flexible and resilientplastic material, such as a polyolefin, e.g., polyethylene orpolypropylene; a vinyl resin, e.g., polyvinyl chloride; or a suitablepolyamide such as nylon.

The stator 26 preferably comprises a fiat, circular base panel 30 whichis of greater diameter than the aperture 20 in the central panel 22 ofthe top end member 14. A dispensing opening 32 is provided in the panel30 adjacent one side thereof. In some container sizes, the aperture 32may be of a sufficient size and suitable shape to permit passagetherethrough of a measuring utensil such as a spoon.

Extending upwardly from the base panel 30 is an annular wall 34 having agenerally vertical outer face 36 and a radially outwardly curved innerface 38 (see FIG. 2). The annular wall 34 preferably is of substantiallythe same height as the tapered annular wall 24 of the top end member 14,and the outer diameter of the annular stator wall 34 preferably issubstantially equal to or slightly greater than the inside diameter ofthe uppermost portion of the tapered end member wall 24.

The upper end of the stator wall 34 merges with an enlarged annular bead40 having downwardly and outwardly tapered faces 42 and 44 whichterminate in curved corners 46 and 48 that merge with the outer face 36and inner face 38, respectively, of the stator wall 34. The stator bead40 is also provided with a generally flat upper race 50.

As shown in FIG. 2, the stator 26 is snap-fitted within the aperture 20of the end member panel 22, the annular bead 40 of the stator beingpushed upwardly through the opening 20 in the end member central panel22 until the outer corner 46 of the bead snaps over the upper end of theannular end member wall 24 to cover the raw edge thereof. The engagementof the annular wall 24 with the undersurface of the head 40 adjacent thecorner 46 thereof serves to fixedly retain the stator 26 within theaperture 20 of the central panel 22 and also urges the upper peripheralsurface of the stator base panel 30 into sealing engagement with theadjacent undersurface of the central panel 22.

The dredge 28 of the instant dredge assembly preferably comprises a flatcircular disc 52 having a raised annular head 54 formed on theperipheral portion thereof. The diameter of the disc 52 is substantiallyequal to the inside diameter of the stator wall 34 so that the dredge 26can be snap-fitted under the stator bead annular corner 48 and intoengagement with the inner curved face 38 of the stator wall 34 (see FIG.2). The stator bead 40, therefore, serves both to retain the stator onthe end member panel 22 and to retain the dredge within the stator. Thedredge head 54 preferably is provided with an outer curved surface 56having a radius of curvature substantially equal to that of the innercurved face 38 of the stator wall 34, thereby providing for relativelyeasy slidable movement between the outer bead surface 56 and the innercurved face 38 of the stator wall 34. The dredge 28, therefore, ismounted for slidable, rotary movement within the stator 26.

In order to facilitate the rotation of the dredge 28 within the stator26, a radially extending, elongated, raised knob 58 is formed on theupper surface of the dredge disc 52 (see FIGS. 1 and 3). Spacedapproximately 90 in a clockwise direction (as seen in FIG. 3) from theknob 58 is the center of an aperture 60 formed in the dredge disc 52 andcorresponding in size and shape to the aperture 32 in the stator basepanel 30. The aperture 60 is so positioned in the dredge disc 52 as tobe in substantial alignment with the stator aperture 32 when the dredge28 is rotated to position the aperture 60 over the aperture 32 (see FIG.2).

In order to provide for the selective dispensing of the granular productwithin the container 12, the dredge disc 52 is provided with a pluralityof sift holes 62 spaced approximately 180 from and covering an area ofapproximately the same size as the aperture 60 (see FIG. 3). Spacedbetween the sift holes 62 and the aperture 60, and approximately 180from the knob 58, is another dispensing opening 64 which is surroundedby a raised pouring lip 66 formed on the dredge disc 52. It will bereadily seen, therefore, that by merely rotating the dredge 28 withinthe stator 26 to an appropriate position, the granular product withinthe container may be dispensed with a spoon or other utensil through theopening 60; by pouring it through the opening 64 and surrounding lip 66;or in limited quantities through the sift holes 62 in the dredge disc52. It will be realized that one or more of the dispensing openings inthe dredge 28 may be omitted, if desired.

When it is desired to close the dispensing opening 32 in the stator 26,the dredge 28 is rotated to a position wherein the knob 58 overlies thecenter of the dispensing opening 32 so that the portion of the dredgedisc.52 adjacent both sides of the knob 58 covers the opening 32 toprevent the escape of the granular product therethrough.

It is noted that the granular product within the container 10 isprevented from wedging between the dredge disc 52 and the stator basepanel 30 by the relatively tight engagement between the annular dredgehead 54 and the portion of the stator bead 40 beneath the curved corner48 thereof, which serves to urge the dredge disc 52 downwardly intorelatively tight engagement with the adjacent surface of the stator basepanel 30 to thus prevent the occurrence of spaces therebet-ween intowhich the product might enter.

In order to prevent excessive frictional resistance to movement betweenthe dredge 23 and rotor 26, the lower peripheral surface of the dredgedisc 52 is cut away to form an upwardly and outwardly tapered annularface 68, as seen in FIG. 2, thereby providing an annular space betweenthe dredge disc 52 and the adjacent surfaces of the stator base panel 30and wall 34 to insure that the dredge 28 will be easily rotatable withinthe stator 26.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe instant invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, theform hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A dredge assembly for a dispensing container having a generallycircular opening therein, said assembly comprising:

a stator formed of a flexible and resilient plastic material andcomprising a generally fiat circular base panel having a dispensingaperture therein and a diameter greater than that of the containeropening, an annular wall extending from one surface of said base paneladjacent the periphery thereof, and an annular bead formed on the end ofsaid wall remote from said base panel, said bead extending radiallyinwardly and outwardly from said wall and being disposedradiallyinwardly of the periphery of said base panel,

said wall having an outer diameter which is substantially the same asthe diameter of the container opening, and said annular bead beingadapted to be snapfitted into engagement with the outer surface of theportion of the container defining the opening therein to position saidstator wall within the opening and to urge the peripheral'portion ofsaid base panel into engagement with the inner surface of the portion ofthe container adjacent the opening, and

a dredge formed .of a flexible and resilient plastic material andcomprising a generally flat circular disc having the peripheral portionthereof snap-fitted under saidannular stator bead and into slidableengagement'with the inner face of .said stator wall to enable saiddredge to be rotatable with respect to said stator,

said dredge disc having at least one dispensing aperture so formed andpositioned therein as to be movable to a position over said statoraperture by rotation of said dredge.

2. The dredge assembly of claim 1 wherein the inner face of said annularstator wall is curved outwardly, and wherein said dredge disc is formedwith an annular bead on the periphery thereof, the outer surface of saidannular bead being in slidable engagement with said inner stator wallface and having a radius of curvature substantially the same as saidinner face.

3. The dredge assembly of claim 2 wherein said annular dredge disc beadextends upwardly from said dredge disc and is in engagement with theadjacent undersurface of said stator head to urge said dredge disc intoengagement with said stator base panel.

4. The dredge assembly of claim 3 wherein the peripheral portion of saiddredge disc adjacent said stator base panel is cut away to form anoutwardly and upwardly tapered annular face, thereby reducing thefrictional resistance to relative movement between said dredge and saidstator.

5. A dispensing container comprising:

an end closure having a generally circular opening therein defined by anupstanding annular wall, and

a dredge assembly formed of a flexible and resilient plastic materialand being mounted within said end closure opening,

said dredge assembly comprising:

a stator having a generally flat base panel of a size greater than thatof said end closure opening, said base panel having a dispensingaperture therein and being in engagement with the undersurface of theportion of said end closure surrounding said opening therein, an annularwall formed on and extending upwardly from said base panel through saidend closure opening and having the outer face thereof in engagement withsaid end closure wall, and an an nular bead formed on the upper portionof said stator wall and being in engagement with and extending radiallybeyond the upper end of said closure wall, said bead being disposedradially inwardly of the periphery of said base panel, and

a dredge comprising a generally flat circular disc having the peripheralportion thereof snap-fitted under said annular stator bead and intoslidable engage ment with the inner face of said stator wall to therebyurge said disc into engagement with the adjacent surface of said statorbase panel and to enable said dredge to be rotatable with respect tosaid stator,

said dredge disc having dispensing apertures of varying configuration soformed and positioned thereon as to be selectively movable over saidstator aperture by rotation of said dredge with respect to said stator.

6. The dispensing container of claim 5 wherein said end closure wall istapered radially inwardly and upwardly, and wherein the upper end ofsaid end closure 6 wall engages said stator approximately at thejunction of the outer faces of said stator wall and said stator bead.

References Cited by the Examiner 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,777,6161/1957 De Shazor 222480 X 2,954,148 9/ 1960 Corrinet et a1 222548 XLOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. 10 CHARLES R. CARTER, Examiner.

1. A DREDGE ASSEMBLY FOR A DISPENSING CONTAINER HAVING A GENERALLYCIRCULAR OPENING THEREIN, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: A STATOR FORMED OF AFLEXIBLE AND RESILIENT PLASTIC MATERIAL AND COMPRISING A GENERALLY FLATCIRCULAR BASE PANEL HAVING A DISPENSING APERTURE THEREIN AND A DIAMETERGREATER THAN THAT OF THE CONTAINER OPENING, AN ANNULAR WALL EXTENDINGFROM ONE SURFACE OF SAID BASE PANEL ADJACENT THE PERIPHERY THEREOF, ANDAN ANNULAR BEAD FORMED ON THE END OF SAID WALL REMOTE FROM SAID BASEPANEL, SAID BEAD EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FROM SAIDWALL AND BEING DISPOSED RADIALLY INWARDLY OF THE PERIPHERY OF SAID BASEPANEL, SAID WALL HAVING AN OUTER DIAMETER WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY THESAME AS THE DIAMETER OF THE CONTAINER OPENING, AND SAID ANNULAR BEADBEING ADAPTED TO BE SNAPFITTED INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OUTER SURFACE OFTHE PORTION OF THE CONTAINER DEFINING THE OPENING THEREIN TO POSITIONSAID STATOR WALL WITHIN THE OPENING AND TO URGE THE PERIPHERAL PORTIONOF SAID BASE PANEL INTO